In 1958, three 3-foot-long cores from the interior of the English landmark’s massive stones were removed during archaeological excavations. Robert Phillips, who was involved in that project, has possessed one of the pieces for 60 years. Now, he’s finally returned it.

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The 89-year-old Englishman, who now resides in Florida, had the stone chunk hanging prominently on a wall of his home, reported BBC News.

English Heritage, which oversees Stonehenge, hopes the sample might now help establish where the stones originally came from.

“Studying the Stonehenge core’s DNA could help tell us more about where those enormous Sarsen stones originated,” said English Heritage property curator Heather Sebire.

Archaeologists are hoping to analyze the core’s chemical composition in an attempt to figure out where the ancient sandstones were derived.

"Conventional wisdom suggests that they all came from the relatively nearby Marlborough Downs, said Brighton University professor David Nash. “But initial results from our analysis suggest that, in fact, the (stones) may come from more than one location.”